“Jessica Pegula Fears Facing ‘Dangerous’ Karolina Muchova in US Open Showdown as Czech Seeks Revenge for Cincinnati Defeat!”

Jessica Pegula recently shared her concerns about facing the formidable Karolina Muchova in the semifinals of the 2024 US Open. The two players have only met once before on the WTA tour, during the second round of the 2024 Cincinnati Open, where Muchova, ranked World No. 6, triumphed 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Pegula entered the US Open after winning the 2024 Canadian Open and finishing as runner-up in Cincinnati, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

 

At the US Open, Pegula, seeded sixth, advanced to the semifinals by defeating notable players such as Shelby Rogers, Sofia Kenin, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 18th seed Diana Shnaider, and top seed Iga Swiatek. Meanwhile, Muchova secured her spot in the final four by overcoming Katie Volynets, former US Open champion Naomi Osaka, Anastasia Potapova, fifth seed Jasmine Paolini, and 22nd seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.

 

During a press conference following her victory over Swiatek, Pegula praised Muchova’s well-rounded game and acknowledged her skill and versatility, noting that she has very few weaknesses. Pegula reflected on their previous match in Cincinnati, calling it a valuable learning experience that would help her prepare for their semifinal clash at Flushing Meadows.

 

“I always see her drawing someone tough in the first round, and I think, ‘Oh no, she’s back, floating in these draws, and I don’t want any part of that.’ In Cincy, I had to play her in the first round, and I thought, ‘Damn it.’ But maybe it’s for the best because now we face each other tomorrow, and hopefully it’ll be a great match,” Pegula said.

 

She also acknowledged Muchova’s experience in high-stakes Grand Slam matches, describing her as a tough competitor and great athlete who consistently performs well regardless of her match count. Pegula added that Muchova seems “happy” to be back playing at this level, which makes her an even more dangerous opponent.

 

“When players are just happy to be back on the court, they can be really dangerous. We had a tough match in Cincinnati, and I’ll reflect on what I did well there to prepare for tomorrow night. I think both of our levels will be higher this time, so we’ll see how it goes.”

 

After her quarterfinal win over Iga Swiatek, Pegula expressed her satisfaction with her performance and her excitement at reaching her first US Open semifinal. “I’m really happy to be through to the semifinals. I thought I played a clean match, served well, and returned well,” she said. Pegula also noted that she didn’t make any significant mistakes against Swiatek and was able to frustrate the World No. 1 by maintaining a high level of play throughout the match.